DECADE.

>>> AN AWARD CELEBRATING ACCESSIBILITY IN THE ARTS, RECENTLY GIVEN OUT TO THE 2023 RECIPIENT.

AN ANNUAL AWARD PRESENTED BY ARTS MIDWEST FOR MIDWESTERN ARTIST 'S WITH DISABILITIES.

HOW CORRESPONDENCE INTRODUCES US TO US THIS YEAR'S ONLY CHICAGO RECIPIENT.

>> VISUAL ARTIST MATT CLARK GIVES HIM A VOICE.

>> THAT SORT OF POWER GIVEN BACK TO ME, I THINK WITH THIS MOMENT OF TRANSITION FOR ME.

>> THE POWER HE REFERS TO COMES AS A RESULT OF HARD WORK AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH WHAT'S DESCRIBED AS AN INVISIBLE DISABILITY.

>> WHEN WE HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT DISABILITY IT'S VERY OFTEN THESE VISIBLE DISABILITIES AS THEY GET A LOT OF ATTENTION SO THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS THE INVISIBLE DISABILITY , IT'S HARDER TO BELIEVE.

SOMETIMES THERE'S THE STIGMAS THAT EXIST BEHIND MENTAL HEALTH BECAUSE PEOPLE SAY THINGS LIKE PULL YOURSELF UP BY THE BOOTSTRAPS OR WORK THROUGH THE SADNESS.

MAN UP.

THERE'S NOTIONS THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE BEYOND THIS BECAUSE WE CAN'T SEE IT.

I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER.

IT'S TWO PARTS, WINNING THE LOTTERY OF MENTAL HEALTH.

YOU GET THE MIXTURE OF SCHIZOPHRENIA AND A MOOD DISORDER SO I GET SEVERE DEPRESSION.

I WAS DIAGNOSED AFTER A SERIES OF MISDIAGNOSIS TRYING TO WORK THROUGH WHAT WAS GOING ON AND IT WAS PROBABLY 18 YEARS AGO NOW.

>> THAT SAID, THE COMMUNITY OF OTHER DISABLED ARTISTS HELPED HIM TO FIND A SPACE .

>> I WAS WORKING WITH THE COUNSELOR .

THEY DID ENCOURAGE ME SINCE I WAS MAKING ART BEFORE , THEY ENCOURAGED ME TO USE IT AND TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS MOST DIFFICULT FOR ME WHEN I'M IN MY WORST STATE.

WHEN I CAN NO LONGER VERBALIZE WHAT I'M SAYING.

FROM THERE THEY WANT TO ME TO USE HEALING ART TO TALK SO TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCES BUT IN A VISUAL FORM.

>> THE EXPERIENCE WAS GROWING UP IN THE CHURCH.

>> I GREW UP IN A RELIGIOUS ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.

WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG AND FIRST DIAGNOSED THERE WERE DOCTORS THAT WERE SAYING I NEEDED TO REPENT OF MY SINS , I NEEDED TO DO THE RELIGIOUS THING WHICH HAD NO ROLE IN WHAT I WAS EXPERIENCING.

THAT CAME PROBLEMATIC AS WELL.

>> WITH THE HELP OF OIL PAINT, HE BROUGHT HIS EXPERIENCES TO LIFE AND CELEBRATING DISABILITIES BOTH VISIBLE AND THE INVISIBLE.

>> RELIGION PLAYS A PART IN THE WORK THAT I SEE IT MORE CRITICALLY.

THE FIGURES I USED TO WORK ARE OFTEN THE NET OBSTINATE.

RELIGIOUS FIGURES UNDER DIFFERENT THINGS.

I COULD PULL UP THESE SORT OF STORIES FROM HISTORY THAT HAVE BEEN HANDED DOWN TO US AND EVOLVED THROUGH VISUAL ART AND I COULD POSE THE QUESTION AGAIN .

THIS PERSON HEARD VOICES.

THEY DANCED IN THE STREET.

THEY DID ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD GET THEM INSTITUTIONALIZED TODAY WHY DO WE VENERATE THEM AS THE SAME TIME WE TREAT THE PEOPLE IN OUR HOME NOW?

THEY MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR THINGS.

WHY CAN'T WE TREAT THEM WITH HUMANITY?

EVERYONE EXPERIENCES MADNESS DIFFERENTLY.

CERTAINLY FOR SOME PEOPLE THIS IS HELPFUL.

MEDICATIONS CAN BE HELPFUL.

THEY MAY NEED IT.

SO TO CATEGORICALLY DISMISS THE POWER OF ART WOULD BE PROBLEMATIC.

>> FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT .

>> EACH AWARD HE RECEIVED $3000